Siren
by LtComm
Summary: After an accident leaves Kat the sole caretaker of her younger sister forcing her to postpone college, it's finally time to take her life off Pause. But when her botany professor Kurama notices something off about her spirit energy, and things start to happen that she can't explain, she quickly realizes that this wasn't going to be the fresh start she had in mind.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's note: Long time no see, I'm sorry lol. It's been a long, busy year and I haven't written anything in a long time, but I didn't want to give up on this one because I still really love the concept. So I completely revamped the outline, and fleshed it out a lot. Hopefully you guys aren't disappointed with my changes so first chapter is all Kat, but don't worry, the boys will be playing a big part soon enough. Please review! It's what keeps me going._

Kat was aware of being too warm, that the window was open and even this early in the morning it was reaching the mid eighties. Her room had become heavy and muggy with humid air. She was aware that her comforter was covering her, and was partially to blame for her overheating. She was aware that her body was covered in a thin sheen of sweat. Droplets of it trickled from her forehead down her temples and into her hair, tickling her skin. She knew all these things, could sense them through the foggy consciousness just before being fully awake, and was unable to do anything about it.

Most of the night had been like this-uncomfortable, with sudden and fleeting bouts of intense pain and vivid nightmares. She hadn't been able to wake up from it fully, though sometimes she'd been conscious enough to _want_ to wake up. The physical discomfort spread from the middle of her spine in lightning bolts up to her shoulders and neck and down her hips and legs. But the nightmares were worse. She was fleeing something, running and breathing hard but never able to get enough oxygen. She couldn't see where she was going, stumbling blindly through a featureless shadow land.

Only when Kat's sister Beth burst into her room, shouting about breakfast being ready, was she able to snap out of her paralysis. She started at the suddenness of having control of her body back, and just like that, the horrible dreams were fading away from memory. As she threw the covers from her and swung her legs over the edge of her bed to stand and stretch, the awful sensations were just a vague recollection from some far away time.

"You look like shit," her thirteen year old sister told her, still standing in the doorway. "You sick or something?"

Kat took a second to assess how she was feeling, wiping sweat from her face with the bottom of her tank top.

"I don't think so…" she croaked, clearing her throat. "I feel fine now, at least." Beth turned to leave and Kat yelled after her, "Stop cussing!" In response, the tween stuck her tongue out and slammed the door behind her.

Kat stretched her arms above her head and groaned, trying to work the stiffness out of her limbs. Her eyes searched her desk out of habit and found the acceptance letter for Arizona State University and she smiled excitedly, remembering that she was supposed to go shopping with her parents today. They'd gotten nearly everything for her dorm. Various supplies lay piled neatly in the corner of her room, waiting patiently for moving day. There were just some odds and ends that she still needed, and suddenly she couldn't wait to get going.

A shower was definitely in order first, she decided as she ran a hand through her damp hair. She sang softly to herself as she washed up, a happy little tune that lifted her spirits even higher. Despite what seemed to be a long night, she had a feeling it was going to be a fantastic day.

After showering and getting dressed, she braided her hair and applied just a little makeup. She smiled at herself in the bathroom mirror, pleased with the outcome. She was no beauty queen, she knew that much, but she did consider herself fairly attractive, and with very little effort. Her long, dark hair didn't take much fuss, and her clear skin and mostly symmetrical features meant that she didn't need a lot of makeup. Just some light eyeliner and mascara to bring out her chocolate brown eyes, and she was done.

Heading down the steps to the living room, she could hear her sister chatting away with her mom and dad, going on about her dance recital that was coming up. Beth had been practicing for months, and she had every turn and leap memorized, but was prone to self doubt. She had become relentless about getting it right.

Kat cut her sister off mid sentence, jokingly saying, "But, like, what if you trip?"

" _Not_ funny." Beth glowered at her older sister. "Now I'm probably jinxed! I need to go cleanse myself of your jinx before practice," she said as she hurried up to her bedroom for her charms and incense that she insisted promoted good luck. She had become very superstitious lately. Kat figured it was bound to happen, with her dramatic tendencies.

"Make it quick!" their mother called from the sink where she was rinsing dishes. "We leave in fifteen minutes!"

Kat grabbed a pancake from the stack on the kitchen table and bit into it as she hopped up on the counter, her legs swinging. Her dad sat at the kitchen table, reading the newspaper and sipping from his mug of coffee. _He's such a cliché_ , she mused to herself.

"You ready to buy me more stuff?" she said around a mouthful of dry pancake.

Her dad looked up from his paper, one eyebrow raised. "You'd better watch it. Your mother and I know just how to embarrass our daughters in public, and we won't hesitate to use our powers for evil." He had a mischievous glint in his eye. Kat laughed and took another bite of her pancake.

"Do you have your list of what you still need?" her mom asked, drying her hands off with a dish towel.

"Yup." She jumped off the counter and patted her back pocket, which had a folded up piece of paper sticking out.

Beth came back into the kitchen then, holding her pink gym bag with her dance things, loudly declaring that she was ready to leave. Their parents set about grabbing keys and wallets and purses, and headed out to the family car.

First stop was dropping Beth off at the dance studio. She had been taking dance classes pretty much since she could stand. Their mom tried getting Kat into it first, but even as a toddler she had hated it. She just didn't have the drive for it. As soon as she was old enough though she'd joined soccer and softball and had loved them both, thriving in the competitive natures of the games. Beth took to dance like a duck to water, much their mom's delight. She had been a dancer when she was younger, even winning some competitions in college. Then she met their dad, and while her love for dance didn't change, her priorities certainly did. Now she was living vicariously through her daughter, which was just fine with Beth. Kat never minded it either, as long as she had sports.

Kat's true passion, though, was singing. She'd never gone a day in her life without singing, always with some song stuck in her head. Her mom always joked that if she didn't have such a nice voice, it'd be annoying. Singing was what got Kat through life, the good times and the bad. It kept her sane through school, gave her an outlet when she was happy or excited and a way to put her soul into words when she had none of her own.

In college, she'd be studying music. She didn't really see the point in school, wanting to skip it and head straight to L.A. to start her career as a star. Her parents had talked her into getting an education first, pointing out that just in case L.A. doesn't work out, she'd have a degree to fall back on. Kat had conceded. Some small part of her knew she'd regret not getting the college experience, though she'd never admit that to them. She was counting down the day now to when she could finally leave the Midwest and begin her adulthood.

They dropped Beth off in front of the studio, her hopping out and waving back at her sister and parents as she ran for the doors. Then, pulling back onto the main street, the three headed to the mall.

"Tunes?" her dad asked from the driver's seat, right hand hovering over the radio. Kat and her mom both opted for top 40, outvoting him. As they headed to the mall, the girls sang along with sugary pop songs, Dad silent but smiling.

They were at a stop light waiting for it to turn green when one of Kat's favorite songs came on, the heavy, serious tune washing over her. She waited for the first verse to start, knowing the words by heart after playing it on repeat several days in a row when it first came out. It was a somber song about heartbreak with a crashing, emotional chorus. It gave her goose bumps from the raw power of it whenever she heard it. Kat sang with her eyes closed as the car rolled forward again. She was really belting it out, letting it pour from her with the same intensity as the singer on the radio.

She had just gotten the last line of the first chorus out, and opened her eyes just in time to see her dad jerk the steering wheel sharply to the left. The car crashed into the road barrier and they were all thrown forward, seatbelts tightening like a vice to keep them from going through the windshield. They rolled, side over side, down a steep hill, glass breaking and metal crunching deafeningly as they went, until finally the car stopped at the bottom of the ditch. In the wake of shock, there was silence.

Everything hurt. It was difficult to stay conscious. Her vision blurred and spun. Nothing made sense. They had been driving on a busy road, and luckily it didn't take long for people to make it to the car. She had been in the back seat and needed to be pulled out through the window that wasn't on the ground.

She was sure there were loud sirens, people calling out to her, peering in through smashed windows to see who needed help. She must have been screaming, or crying, calling out to her parents, but she didn't remember any of that. All her memories before waking up in the hospital were completely devoid of sound or coherence.

For the first few days after the crash she was kept in a drug induced haze while she recovered from a few broken ribs and a fractured right arm and dislocated shoulder. She remembered doctors, friends of her parents, and her sister being there, but never heard a word. Then when the pain killers wore off, and she was able to stay awake for more than a few minutes at a time, they told her about her parents. Neither of them had made it.

Kat didn't speak for a week. She sat silently through the funeral, barely reacting at all through every "I'm sorry for your loss." All she could do was just absorb it. Nothing seemed real anymore, like she was stuck in some sick dream and no matter what, she couldn't shake it off. The only thing that did feel real was the pain from her injuries. She refused to take medication so that she had at least one tether to the reality of the situation.

Beth was always crying. She couldn't seem how to wrap her head around never seeing her mom and dad again. As much as Kat tried suppressing all emotion, her sister couldn't help letting every tear and question out. It killed Kat to see her like that, and she knew she needed to be strong for her sister.

Her parents had been cautious enough to make a will, leaving Kat and her sister the house and whatever savings they had, along with naming her the beneficiary to their life insurance policies. The money from these covered the remaining mortgage on the house, with plenty left over to keep them fed for a long while. A close family friend offered to have them come live with her, and Kat was tempted to usher all responsibility off to someone else. In the end, though, she and Beth wanted to stay home. She was eighteen and didn't need a guardian, and knew she could take care of Beth just fine. Not wanting to be a burden to anyone was what they said to the people offering them a way out, but really neither of them could stomach the idea of leaving the only thing they had left of their parents.

Kat had almost forgotten about ASU when she got a letter in the days leading up to class starting about signing up for courses. She sat on her bed that night after calling admissions to let them know she wouldn't be there when the semester started. The nice woman on the other line asked if she was just deferring a semester. Kat chuckled humorlessly, told her no, and hung up.

She was staring at her stockpile of dorm supplies, and for the first time since the accident she let herself wallow in the unfairness of it all. Everything had been taken from her in a single instant. An entire bright future-not just hers, but her sister's also- was just gone, completely out of the realm of possibility.

Suddenly, she was just so _mad_. By this point she had had time to heal, but still had a long road to full recovery ahead of her, and she wasn't moving around as well as she was used to. She ignored the sharp sting from her broken bones as picked up item after item in the pile of her no-longer-future and threw it against the wall as hard as she could, until the pain crushed her. Her sister found her crumpled on the floor amid the mess she'd made, letting go of everything she'd bottled up over the last several weeks. For once, Beth didn't say anything. They simply held each other and mourned the loss of everything they knew.


	2. Chapter 2

Kat plopped down heavily on her bedroom floor, sinking her fingers into the worn carpet. The usually cramped room seemed huge now with all her things packed away neatly in boxes downstairs. She just had one more box to take down, and she decided to sit and take in the empty space that had been her sanctuary for her entire life. All the posters had been taken off the walls, revealing the sky blue paint underneath that she had picked out all by herself as a child. There were indentations in the carpet where her desk and bed had been, and no matter how many times she ran the vacuum over them they stayed as a reminder of the last twenty-three years. It was weird looking at the room now with nothing in it, like it was both familiar and totally foreign.

Above blasting rock music, she could hear Beth crashing around in her room next door, still packing. It was just like her to leave it until the last minute. She'd probably be up all night finishing the list of things Kat had given her weeks ago. Kat supposed she didn't care so long as it was done by morning when it was time to go.

With a tired sigh, she lifted herself up off the floor and grabbed the last box, taking a lingering look around the only bedroom she'd ever know. She was trying to get all her goodbyes in tonight instead of in the morning to save time, and so she could do so privately, without her sister. She was going to miss the house just as much as Beth was; she just wanted to do it a little more… quietly.

The rest of the house was in much the same state as her bedroom was, with stacked boxes taped shut taking up most of the garage, ready to be loaded into the car and taken either to a storage unit or donated. Only a few things made the cut to take to Arizona with them. All the furniture had already been hauled away by the Salvation Army, so the girls would be spending their last night in an empty house on blow up mattresses in the family room. Then in the morning, they would lock the doors for the last time and hand the keys over to the new owners of the house, and say goodbye to Nebraska.

It was difficult to believe Beth was already eighteen, and ready for college. Harder still to believe that she wanted her big sister to come along with her. She'd even gotten into ASU, the same school Kat had planned on going to.

Kat had planned on staying home and letting Beth go off to live her life, but she had insisted that Kat come along and start taking classes too. It had taken some serious convincing, and a lot of optimism on the younger sister's part, but finally Kat had agreed to at least take the entrance exams. She was sure she wouldn't pass them and it'd be a moot point anyway. By some miracle, however, she'd done really well on the tests and had been accepted, again. Beth had even tried to talk her into studying music again, but one hard glance from Kat was all it took to squash that idea. She knew damn well that her older sister didn't sing anymore.

Instead, she was thinking about studying biology. She had liked it in high school, and it seemed like a good base for a wide variety of decent careers. After all, she didn't want to be stuck with the entry level jobs she'd been doing the last five years forever. Beth, of course, would be studying dance. She'd never given it up. In fact, she'd thrown herself into it even harder once she'd gotten to high school. Kat knew she had a great future ahead of her in dance. Whenever she got to see her sister at work, it was like watching her fly. Beth was weightless on stage, like Wendy and Peter Pan, gliding effortlessly with the help of pixie dust.

Beth strolled into the kitchen right as Kat was dishing out takeout Chinese food onto paper plates. She'd set up a folding table and two folding chairs where their kitchen table used to stand, and it seemed tiny in comparison. Beth hadn't been happy about the idea of getting rid of all the furniture, but Kat wouldn't hear it. Honestly, she'd been wanting to get rid of a lot of things over the last few years. It was a relief that they were moving across the country and she finally had an excuse to get away from all the reminders of their parents. She didn't regret the decision to keep the house after the accident, but she was constantly haunted by the ghosts of what used to be their lives. A change would be good for them, she just knew it.

"So," Beth started, her mouth full of rice, "guess what I found when I was cleaning out Mom and Dad's room."

Kat stiffened, glancing up at her sister warily. She hadn't been in their parents room in about four years, and had left the job of cleaning it out to her sister. Beth hadn't argued, knowing that Kat would just throw everything away, given half the chance.

"I found a box with all these old pictures of us when we were, like, babies and stuff," she went on. "And, like, even some of you with braces. And that horrible class picture where Mom made me wear that purple sweater? Ugh!" she exclaimed with a laugh. Kat hadn't seen those pictures in what felt like a life time. Beth shoveled a bite of orange chicken into her mouth and got up, practically sprinting out of the kitchen and up the stairs. When she came back, she'd brought the whole box down, tossing the lid to the side and sifting through hundreds of pictures and old school assignments their mother had saved. She handed Kat a few of them, and kept searching.

The first few were the ones she'd already told her about. A younger, dorkier Kat with braces and a bad hair cut. Beth's third grade class all lined up, her looking like a grape right in the middle of the group. She had the biggest, cheesiest grin on her face, making Kat smirk slightly.

"Aww," Beth cooed, handing another photo over. "Look at this one."

Kat took it and froze as she recognized the picture. It was an old Polaroid of their mom and dad, before she had been born. They were young and smiling at each other, like they could never be happier than they were right then. Kat felt the Chinese food in her stomach threaten to make a come back, and put the picture back in the box as nicely as she could stand.

Beth seemed to have no problem seeing the images that sent Kat into a panic. She chalked it up to being a more emotional person, so she'd been more equipped to deal with losing their parents. What Kat would never say out loud was that she hadn't lost them the same way she had. She hadn't been there.

"Are you done packing?" Kat interrupted her sister's reminiscing. She got up and started clearing her trash. Beth stared after her a moment. She knew her sister was trying to change the subject, and was debating on whether to ignore her or take pity.

She sighed heavily. "Almost," she said, putting the lid back on the box of pictures. "I didn't realize how much _shit_ we had."

Kat rolled her eyes, resisting the urge to tell her not to cuss. It was pointless, anyway. "Yeah, well, if you weren't such a hoarder," she said instead.

"Are not! Just 'cos I have more stuff that I'm keeping than can fit in one box doesn't make me a hoarder. You're the weirdo," she exclaimed, sticking her tongue out. Sometimes it was easy for Kat to forget that her sister was eighteen, and not still thirteen.

"Just remember, it all has to fit in our two bedroom apartment," she said, taking Beth's empty plate and the empty food containers and tossing them in a trash bag.

"Man, I can't wait. We're gonna be, like, the only freshmen with out own place and everyone is gonna wanna party with us," Beth gushed.

Kat snorted. "You and I both will be too busy studying for parties. I'm not going to let you flunk out your first year."

"You're so lame," the younger of the two complained, pulling her blond hair up into a high ponytail in preparation for getting back to work. "College is going to be great. It's gonna be parties, and dance, and cute guys." She nudged her sister with her elbow.

"Uhm, no. College will be about going to class and working hard and getting good grades." Kat knew her sister was right, she did sound pretty lame, but someone needed to keep her head out of the clouds. Beth just laughed, knowing just how to bug her stuffy older sister.

"Whatever, Kitty Kat. I'm gonna get back to work."

Kat sighed as Beth headed back upstairs. It had been so long since she'd looked forward to something, but thinking about the change of scenery and getting back a little bit of the life she'd thought she'd lost, little tendrils of excitement began sneaking their way into her mind. A fresh start was exactly what they both needed.

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Away from the city, away from all the noise and the stink of humans, where the desert was a wide open space cut up only by distant mesas and mountains, was where Hiei spent most of his time since relocating to the states. This kind of landscape, this kind of _emptiness_ just didn't exist in Japan. He would spend his nights with Kurama in the house they had acquired, and then as soon as the sun was up he'd be miles away surrounded by nothing more than sun baked dirt and scraggly brush. The heat suited him well, being a fire demon, making him feel as at home as he could without being in Makai. He savored the isolation, the only other living things being the deadly snakes and other small reptiles.

Mostly he used this time for training, fighting imaginary enemies sometimes from sunup to sundown, when he would make his way back to the house. Other days he would find a single small tree, barely surviving, and sit in the meager shade if offered and just think for hours. He was able to check in on his sister whenever he felt the need through his Jagan Eye. Life in Japan had been pretty quiet since they'd all returned from Makai. The barrier was completely fixed, if not even stronger than before, only allowing the most minor of demons to slip through every now and again. The carrot-topped oaf and Yusuke were plenty capable of handling anything that might come up. There had really been no need to stay, especially with so much more of the world to explore.

Kurama had taken a job teaching at a college in Pheonix, Arizona of the United States, for reasons Hiei couldn't fathom because it certainly wasn't for the money. The fox seemed content to lead a relatively normal life after their years of being spirit detectives. So he'd bought a little house outside of the city with a few acres of land and fixed it up to his liking, ready to settle down for a time and enjoy the slow life. Hiei supposed it could be worse.

Today had been one of the days for quiet contemplation. He had tried training in the morning, but just couldn't quite give a hundred percent, so he found one of his favorite trees, one that was long dead and dried out, but held upright by strong roots. It held no leaves for cover, but there was nothing around to obstruct Hiei's view of potential enemies, and no real reason to be hidden anyway. He was just settling onto a branch, back resting against the trunk, when he felt a nudge on his mental barrier.

Kurama was the only one tuned into his specific "frequency", and liked to check in sometimes. Not in a talkative mood, he nudged back but didn't answer otherwise, letting Kurama know that he was alive at least. He knew that would be sufficient for the fox, and he'd be left alone for a few days at least.

Kurama got the message loud and clear, a small smile on his face thinking about his strange little friend. Currently, he was at home, tending to his green house. It was like a topical oasis compared to the rest of the desert, lush and humid like a jungle, with all of his favorite species. Some were native to the human world and pretty harmless. Some were native to demon world and could be quite dangerous, if properly motivated.

Tomorrow would be his first day of classes, and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't a little excited. Teaching was something he enjoyed, and was grateful to be given this opportunity. So far he was loving their new home. He liked the landscape and the city, even the people. He knew Hiei was enjoying his time in the states as well. It seemed like a good fit for the both of them.

Mostly he loved the absolute lack of excitement. Being spirit detective, especially the last couple years, had taken a toll on all of them, and Kurama was no exception. He was looking forward to nights at home, grading papers and reading, maybe even spending time with Hiei when it suited the fire demon's mood.

 _Yes,_ Kurama though while pruning and weeding. _Some peace and quiet is exactly what I need._

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Kat had been napping on their secondhand couch when the sound of the deadbolt unlocking roused her, and Beth announced her arrival loudly. Kat sighed, guessing that her break from unpacking was over. She was mostly done anyway, just a few odds and ends before she could get rid of all the empty boxes.

"Kitty Kat, I had the _best_ day!" Beth exclaimed. She shoved the pile of papers off the coffee table and sat in their place while she gushed to Kat about her first day of classes.

"Don't call me that," Kat grumbled, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Campus is so freaking awesome," she continued, ignoring her. "and the people seem totally cool. And Kitty Kat, the _guys!_ " She feigned a shiver of pleasure at some memory of a pretty face. "This is gonna be the best year."

"What about your classes?" Kat asked, bringing her back to Earth. Beth waved her off, getting up and heading to her room.

"Oh, yeah, they're fine and whatever." Kat rolled her eyes.

Most of her own classes were online, so she'd spent most of the day signing into her courses and looking over each syllabus carefully. The only exception was her botany class, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. There was no online option for it, but it had seemed interesting, not to mention it was probably going to be an easy A. She was a bit nervous, knowing she'd be several years older than most of her class mates, but she figured she'd just have to get over it. It wouldn't kill her to actually have to go out and see people.

Another chunk of her day she had spent searching for a job online, and she had a couple of prospects narrowed down. She even had an interview to be a bar tender at a little place down the street tomorrow after class. She knew close to nothing about alcohol, not being much of a drinker herself, but she supposed she'd learn if she had to.

Sighing again, she started gathering boxes to break down and take out to the dumpster.

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Kat pushed open the classroom door and a blast of cool air hit her, and she thanked all the gods for air conditioning. It was in the low hundreds outside with the sun beating down relentlessly, not a cloud in the sky. The heat was definitely something she'd have to get used to.

She was early yet, so there were plenty of open seats. The black tabletops were designed to sit two, so she'd probably have to deal with a partner, but at least she could sit in the back and keep as much to herself as the class allowed. She removed her textbook and a brand new notebook from her bag, arraigned them neatly in front of her, and sat quietly while the other students filed in.

It didn't take long for her to start feeling old, watching as kids her sister's age came in in ones and twos, some of them finding people they knew and starting conversations, and some of them finding seats alone and looking just as out of place as she felt. She was glad this was her only class that wasn't online suddenly, relieved that she only had to live through this once.

About five minutes before class was supposed to start, a man entered through the door at the front of the room, connected to the professor's office. He couldn't have been much older than Kat, and had shocking red hair. It was the kind of color that was probably fake, but somehow Kat didn't think he'd dyed it. He wore it long and flowing, though it did not make him any less masculine. She couldn't help studying him, having never seen anything quite like him back home. He was tall and lean and moved with confidence and grace, like a cat. She supposed he could be considered quite handsome, she admitted grudgingly to herself. She watched him as he shuffled a few things on his desk, and then looked up to scan the classroom. Their eyes met briefly and she was amazed that she could tell how green his were even from the back of the room. The corner of his mouth picked up in a half smile, and Kat nodded in greeting before turning away, trying not to blush.

He cleared his throat softly, signaling for class to start. "Hello students, my name is Kurama Minamino, you may call me Kurama. I'll be your professor for Botany 110." His voice was smooth and friendly, definitely easy on the ears. Some of the girls were practically melting. Kat rolled her eyes. It was going to be a long semester.

Kurama noticed the girl in the back right away since, oddly enough, she had a decent measure of spirit energy. It was pretty uncommon in humans, even in Japan, but for some reason in the United States he'd noticed it was even more rare. So as soon as he'd walked into the classroom, he'd noticed hers. It was untapped, to be sure. He doubted that she was even aware of it. But still, it piqued his interest. He must be more bored than he thought, he mused to himself as class went on.

She looked pretty common, he noted. Pretty in a simply way with smooth brunette hair and warm eyes, but not enough to really stand out. She was older than most freshman, in her early twenties for sure. She was making a point not to look at him like the other girls were, which he was actually grateful for. Already he knew it was going to be a long semester, at least until his novelty as the attractive younger professor wore off.

Kat was acutely aware of every time he glanced at her, though she made sure to remind herself that he was looking at everyone. Keeping this in mind, she couldn't shake the feeling that he was looking at her more than the other students, though. She shook her head at the thought, urging herself to focus. They finished going over the syllabus and jumped right into the first chapter, and he made it clear there would be homework assigned that would be due Thursday. She was starting to wonder how easy this A was actually going to be.

Class ended eventually, and she left quickly, eager to be out of the same room as the cute professor. She had a job interview to worry about now, not to mention homework.

Kurama let the class go, gathering his papers and preparing for the next class. Try as he might he couldn't quite get the strange energy from the girl out of his head, though, and decided maybe just a little spying would convince him that she was just a boring, normal girl like everyone else here. And he knew just the fire apparition to help him.

 _So much for peace and quiet._


	3. Chapter 3

Hiei had been settled into one of his favorite trees for several hours, soaking in the heat from the unrelenting sun and dozing in and out of a half-sleep when Kurama reached out to him telepathically. He was a bit miffed by the request the fox presented him with. He was very tempted to tell his friend to forget it, he was no lackey anymore, but lucky for the fox Hiei had grown just a tiny bit bored with the day to day routine he'd gotten used to.

Kurama asked him to follow some human girl from his class, one of his students that had a strange spirit energy. Hiei had to admit it was interesting that she had enough energy to be picked up. He hadn't come across a single human in this country so far with even a drop of spirit energy. He could see why Kurama would want to find out more. Even so, he was sure this little recon mission would be fruitless, and he'd be back in this tree by the next morning.

It didn't take long for Hiei to locate the girl the fox had asked him to spy on. She wasn't at the apartment that was listed as her address, so he settled into the largest branch of a tree that, conveniently, lined up nicely with her third floor balcony. This tree had plenty of leaves and would provide sufficient cover.

He took the time waiting for her to get home to check in on his sister back in Japan. Under the white headband on his forehead his Jagan eye glowed lavender. He was very familiar with his sister's personal waves, and even across thousands of miles he locked in on her with relative ease. In his absence the big idiot, Kuwabara, had moved into Genkai's temple to be closer to Yukina. It was early afternoon there, and he could see the two of them on Genkai's large porch. Kuwabara was laughing about something and Yukina giggled along with him. He had made the decision to stay out of her personal business a long time ago, but the thought of her with that clumsy fool left a sour taste in Hiei's mouth.

Trying to focus on anything else, he probed Kurama's mind for anything more on the girl he was so intrigued by. A picture came up of a girl in her early twenties, hunched over a desk and writing something in a notebook. Her long hair was pulled back in a ponytail, the color of dark chocolate. When she glanced up, he could see that her eyes were the same color. Through Kurama's memory of her he could only feel an echo of the energy coming off of her, but he could understand why the fox wanted to know more. It reminded him of Yusuke's energy, since he'd tapped into his demon bloodline. Kurama's memory flashed to her as the girl next to her elbowed her and said something, causing a pink tint to color her cheeks. Hiei rolled his eyes at the fox, getting the sense that Kurama knew the blonde's comment was about him. Though Kurama did not often partake in the company of women, he had quite the ego.

Backing out of his friend's mind before he was detected, he started watching the people on the sidewalk below. At this point he was long used to being around humans, and sometimes he didn't even mind being stuck in human world. The food was better here, at least. But there was always going to be a large part of him that thought of their species as inferior. With the exception of a select few, they were all just brainless sheep, blind to the real world around them. Turning them all into zombies would have been a favor to them, in his opinion.

By this point, though, Hiei had lost all interest in taking over Ningenkai. Through his adventures with the spirit detective he had come to realize that it was just more convenient to be on the good guy's side. No one was hunting him, no price on his head. These days he was much more interested in just being left alone, and for the most part he was, except for the occasional Dark Tournament or End of the World scare.

Within an hour or so, Hiei caught sight of the target. Actually, he felt her before he could see her through the thick foliage that was his hiding place. In person, the energy she was surrounded by was definitely peculiar. He couldn't quite describe it. It felt partially demon, like the spirit detective's, but… different. More investigation was clearly in order.

He only caught a glimpse of her as she entered the building on the ground level. The sliding door leading out to the balcony he was posted by looked into the small living room. The blinds were wide open, and he watched as she opened the door to the apartment and dumped her things off on a nearby chair. She went down the hall then and was out of sight for a time, and was wearing a change of clothes when she returned.

For a human, Hiei thought she was actually quite good looking. The clothes she wore now, a black tank and grey leggings, were obviously meant to be comfortable, but hugged her lithe figure perfectly. She threw herself onto a shabby looking couch and laid back, stretching her arms high above her head, showing off a flat stomach. She had taken her hair down, and it flowed in waves halfway down her back.

Getting to the task at hand, he closed his eyes and focused on his third eye, which once again started to glow lightly. He picked up her energy easily enough and began gently probing her mind. Looking into the minds of humans was usually child's play for Hiei, so when the girl's mind didn't give, he was slightly taken aback. He pushed harder. Nothing. He searched a while for other avenues in. Nothing. It seemed as though he was completely blocked. Finally, he opened his eyes to glare at the girl.

Hiei was not like Kurama. He didn't enjoy puzzles, and he didn't like having to search for the answers to complicated questions. That took patience, and though Hiei did not consider himself an impatient being, he didn't have nearly as much as Kurama. But the Jagan had never failed him before, and he knew he wasn't going to be able to let that go.

Frustrated, he resigned himself to gathering as much information about her as he could the old fashioned way. She seemed to be doing homework, a laptop open on the coffee table in front of her that she was paying close attention to. Boxes were stacked randomly around the space, so she probably hadn't lived there long.

After a while, she closed the laptop and sat back into the couch, yawning. She sat for a minute or two, looking like she was trying to decide what to do next. Eventually she got up and headed back to the hallway and out of sight again. He heard a shower start, and music from a radio started playing. Figuring he wasn't going to find out any more information tonight, he sighed angrily and promised himself he'd be back the next night.

He was crouched to leap from his tree limb, when he felt a sudden burst in Kat's spirit energy, and his attention snapped back to her living room. Hiei was completely frozen as he watched tendrils of deep violet energy slowly snake around the corner, moving like tentacles of smoke toward the balcony. Torn between fight and flight, he forced himself out of the tree and opened the sliding glass door, then quickly realized this was the wrong thing to do. The energy reached for him, wrapped around him, and without thinking about what he was doing or why, he was stepping into the apartment. Alarmed, he tried to stop himself, and found that he couldn't. He had no control over his body. He was helpless as the purple energy dragged him through the living room and toward the hallway.

As he moved further into the apartment he could see where the energy was leading him. It was coming from underneath a closed door, where steam was also escaping from the space between the door and the carpet. It must have been her bathroom, where she was now showering. Over the sound of the radio and the running water, he could hear her singing along with the song that played. Her voice was beautiful, clear and rich, and the closer he got, still unable to control himself, the more energy there was to grip him tighter. Concentrating hard, he started to hear the words she was singing, and the situation made a little bit more sense.

 _"Close, ohh,_

 _Oh, so close! Ohh,_

 _I want you close, ohh_

 _Cause space is just a word made up by someone who's afraid to get too_

 _Close! Ohh_

 _Oh, so close, ohh_

 _I want you close, ohh_

 _Oh, I want you close, and close ain't close enough, no!"_

It was her singing. Her words were the power that held onto him like a vice. The second he realized this, the energy slacked considerably and he forced himself free right as his hand had gripped the door handle to open it.

He knew at this point he should turn and leave. But suddenly he was just too fed up with this whole situation, that this human girl had been able to best him. He wanted answers, and he was going to get them. Unable to restrain himself, he turned the handle roughly and flung the door open. In two quick strides he was at the tub and ripping the shower curtain open.

The girl screamed and reflexively moved to cover herself. Before she could scream a second time, Hiei had unsheathed his sword and held it to her throat, effectively pinning her against the tile wall. With his free hand he shut the shower off, all while glaring at her. Her face was level with his. Her eyes were wide with terror and she was shaking.

"What are you?" Hiei demanded.

Kat's brow furrowed in confusion, and she started sputtering. "I-I don't un… W-what do y-you…?" She couldn't seem to form a full sentence.

"Don't play dumb, girl. What are you? How were you doing that?"

She didn't answer, had no idea how.

Hiei's eyes narrowed, studying the girl closely. As scared as she was, she kept eye contact with him. He sensed nothing but fear, and confusion. He let out a frustrated sigh. She honestly didn't understand what was going on. He was obviously going to get nowhere with her, so he put his sword away and backed up, out of the tub. She crumpled to the floor, trying desperately to cover herself. Hiei resisted the urge to roll his eyes at her.

Without another word, he was out of the tiny bathroom, out of the apartment, and back in the tree. He debated briefly where to go from here, and decided that since this was really Kurama's puzzle to begin with, he'd want to hear about the night's events.

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Turns out the bar was pretty desperate for help, and all Kat had to do was show up and the job was hers. The place was a little divey, but not unwelcoming. The owner seemed nice enough, anyway, in a biker, mother-figure kind of way. She was asked to start right then, and got the fast and dirty run down of how to make basic drinks and clean up after the patrons. She was asked to come in again tomorrow, and readily agreed. She was happy to check getting a job off her list, one less thing to worry about.

When she got home, she checked her phone and found a missed text from Beth letting her know that she'd be out for a while with some new friends. Kat was still getting used to Beth being an adult and not having to monitor who she went out with and where and when she'd be back. She resisted the urge to text back anything more than a simple 'have fun'.

She was tempted to slack off for the night and just go to bed, but knew that was a slippery slope and instead put on some comfy clothes, and hunkered down to finish some homework. Eventually she lost track of time and before she knew it, an hour and a half had passed and she was all done. Things seemed to be going well for her sister and her so far, and she was feeling pleased with herself about her new life.

As a reward, she grabbed a small radio and headed for the bathroom, deciding a shower sounded nice before bed. She turned the water on, then switched the radio on and switched around channels until she found something good. As she undressed, she let the song wash over her and smiled.

She was in the best mood she'd been in in so long, and something inside her was telling her it was okay to let loose for once. The song playing was purposeful and sensual, sung by a guy and a girl that she recognized but couldn't name. She tapped her fingers against her thighs to the beat set by a metal drum, and cleared her throat in preparation for something she hadn't done since she was eighteen.

As the first chorus ended and the second verse began, sung by the girl came on, she parted her lips and sang along.

 _"Oh man, oh man_

 _I am not really known for ever being speechless_

 _But now, but now somehow_

 _My words roll off my tongue right onto your lips, ohh"_

The words spilled out effortlessly, her voice clear despite disuse. It feels so good to let it out, she closes her eyes and focuses on the music, feeling it wash over her with the hot water.

 _"I'm keeping my cool while you keep smiling_

 _Saying all the things I'm thinking_

 _Oh man, oh man_

 _I am like you so I want proof I'm what you're feeling…"_

Kat lost track of herself, shaping every word with care. Her body tensed as the bridge to the chorus started and the music got quiet. She matched the singer on the radio easily.

 _"Cause if I want you, and I want you, babe_

 _Ain't going backwards, won't ask for space_

 _Cause space was just a word made up by someone who's afraid to get too…"_

The music pauses, building the tension. Kat held her breath, not moving a muscle, until the beat droped and the chorus started like a crashing wave.

 _"Close, ohh,_

 _Oh, so close! Ohh,_

 _I want you close, ohh_

 _Cause space is just a word made up by someone who's afraid to get too_

 _Close! Ohh_

 _Oh, so close, ohh_

 _I want you close, ohh_

 _Oh, I want you close, and close ain't close enough, no!"_

So wrapped up in the music, Kat didn't realize that her bathroom door had been opened. She was just opening her mouth to sing the next line when her shower curtain was ripped open, the hooks holding the plastic to the metal bar popping off and hitting the tile floor and the tub making little ding noises. Kat screamed, hands automatically moving to cover herself.

Over the song that was still playing, there was a very distinctive _sshhhhink!_ sound, and when Kat opened her eyes, her next scream caught in her throat. Her eyes focused on two things: The very sharp looking katana that was being held up to her neck, and the ruby red eyes of the man holding the sword.

"What are you?" he asked angrily, and if she hadn't been so surprised and scared already, she would have thought that was a weird question.

"I-I don't un… W-what do y-you…?" Her words were failing her, so she just shut up and bit down on her lip.

"Don't play dumb, girl. What are you? How were you doing that?"

 _Great,_ she thought frantically _, this is how I die, murdered by some drugged out psycho in my own bathroom!_

She figured at this point that no matter what she said, this would probably end the same way, so she just didn't answer.

He stared at her for a long moment, like he was deciding something. She noticed that even though she was stark naked he didn't seem to care, and she found some solace in that.

Then, as suddenly as he appeared, he was gone. Kat crumpled to the bottom of the tub, huddling to cover herself. He had shut the water off at some point and she started shivering uncontrollably, both by the chill of being wet and the waves of fear and adrenaline coursing through her. After several long minutes, she was able to shakily get out of the tub. The radio was still going, and she carefully shut it off, listening hard to make sure he wasn't still lurking in the apartment. She strained her ears, but didn't hear anything, so she wrapped herself in a towel and snatched her cell off the counter, dialing 911 with trembling fingers.

She didn't leave the bathroom until the police arrived. She forced herself to go out to the living room so she could let them in, not liking the idea of them knocking down the door. The two officers checked all the rooms while she waited by the door, still in just a towel. When they gave the all clear that the apartment was empty, she went to put clothes on, and tried to gather her scattered thoughts enough to give them a statement.

Beth came home just as the police were leaving, assuring Kat that they'd be keeping an eye on the building that night. This eased her mind some. Kat told her sister what happened with as few details as she could, not in the mood for her loud, dramatic freak out. It was warranted in this situation, Kat knew, she just wasn't in the mood for it.

The energy was draining from her fast at this point, leaving her feeling hollow and heavy. The reality of her near death experience was starting to really sink in, and it just made her more tired. She did her best to reassure her sister that she was okay, and went to bed.


	4. Chapter 4, Part 1

Kat stayed in bed for a long time the next morning after she woke up. She wished she could just skip work and sleep through the whole day. Everything lately seemed to be weighing down on her all of a sudden; moving to a new place where she didn't know anyone, school, work… her apartment being broken into. Everything was moving so quickly compared to the last five years of her life.

Or was it that things were finally moving at all?

She'd been like a rock in a riverbed since the accident- stuck, while everything around her flowed by. She just hadn't noticed it until now, when she was finally dislodged and had started moving downriver with everyone else. It had seemed exciting at first, but now that she was here, away from everything familiar, she really just felt isolated.

Coming to this realization, Kat shook her head and sat up in bed. "You're just homesick," she told herself. "You just need more time." She resolved then to handle all the weight on her the same way she handled most upsets in her life-by ignoring it.

She threw the covers over and stood up, stretching her limbs to work out all the kinks. Digging through her dirty-but-still-wearable pile of clothes, she found a comfy pair of jeans and a camisole to wear. She ran a brush through her mane of hair and left it down. Despite going to bed with it still wet, the waves in it were in some semblance of control. After a quick look in the full length mirror on the back of her door, she nodded her approval and headed into the living room. Not sure if she was ready to face her bathroom yet, she moved quickly past the closed door while trying not to look at it.

Not having her kitchen put together all the way yet meant she hadn't gotten groceries. Since they'd moved in last week, she and Beth had been on a steady diet of various takeout. This morning would be no different. She slipped into her shoes, grabbed her keys, and started the short walk to a deli down the block from her.

It was before ten but the temperature outside was already in the 90's. The sun beat down on her as she walked, and as she stopped at a crosswalk before the walk sign was lit, she closed her eyes and turned her face up to catch all the warmth it offered. Even after such a short time, her skin was a few shades darker than she was used to. She thought it looked pretty good, actually. Natural and healthy.

On the way back from the bakery, movement from an alley caught her eye as she was walking past its opening. She turned her head to look just as the tiniest black kitten was stumbling toward her. She stopped dead in her tracks and sucked in a breath and held it, trying to keep from making any sudden movements. She knelt down and reached her hand out, making little kissy sounds, and the little kitty ran straight to her. It sniffed her fingers cautiously for a moment before nuzzling its head into her palm.

"You are so precious!" she squealed as quietly as she could, not wanting to scare the little guy. She petted the kitten gently. It couldn't have been more than a few weeks old. She glanced around the alley quickly, searching for a mama cat, but it seemed to be alone. While she was distracted, the kitten leaped up into her lap, none-too-gracefully, and pressed into Kat's stomach. When it started purring, Kat thought her heart was going to break.

"Well," she said to the kitten. "Looks like you're coming home with me." Kat gently cradled the tiny bundle in one arm and carried her food in the other.

Once she was through the door to her apartment, she set the kitten down and dug into her bag of food, tearing a tiny piece of sausage from her sandwich and offering it on her open palm. It stared at her a moment with big green eyes, unsure if it was a trick, before tentatively taking the food and nibbling at it from the floor. Upon further inspection, Kat noticed it was a girl and got to work on naming her.

"You look like a… Phoebe." Phoebe looked up from her sausage briefly, and Kat knew that was going to be it.

"My sister is going to freak out," she said to the kitten, glad to have someone to talk out loud to without sounding too crazy.

She spent the rest of the morning kitten proofing the apartment as best she could, even leaving for a bit to get food and litter for her new roommate. Phoebe seemed perfectly content to make herself at home on the couch and watch. Any tension from the previous night was promptly forgotten. This little turn of fate was just what she'd needed.

That afternoon she had to work, and though she didn't want to leave her new little friend alone for long, she couldn't afford not to go. Beth had left for classes before she'd gotten up, but was bound to be back in the afternoon. Kat snapped a picture of their new room mate and sent it to her sister so it wouldn't be such a shock when she got home and found her.

When she got to work, she was actually in a great mood. It was a slow day, just a few regular customers. When someone asked her how she was doing, she didn't even think to mention that she'd nearly been murdered the night before. A shipment came in and she was in the back room putting bottles away on a shelf, the mindless work allowing her thought to go over the previous night with a clearer head.

While the strange man had her pinned to the wall, she'd had enough sense to look for details. The first thing she'd noticed, besides the katana, was his eyes. They had been ruby red. She thought she must have imagined that out of stress or just remembered wrong, but thinking back they were definitely a deep scarlet. Then there were his odd clothes, a black sleeveless tunic tucked into loose black pants with a couple white belts around his waist. He was a little short, several inches shorter than her, but his jet black hair was standing straight up except a few stray pieces, adding a few inches. Kat wondered briefly how much gel that required.

It seemed odd that even though he was obviously not in his right mind to be breaking into women's apartments and threatening them with swords, he had taken the time to do his hair. And what was with the questions he was asking? _What are you?_ What was _that_ supposed to mean?

She shook her head at the absurdity of it all, and decided to forget it. The police would surely find him, and he wouldn't bother anyone else.

Trying to keep her mood light, she starting thinking about just before the break in, and how good it felt to sing again. It was like she'd never stopped, it felt so natural. Like coming home. Since the accident she hadn't sung a single syllable, even gave up humming. It was too painful to feel all the things the music would bring out of her, so she just bottled up her voice and kept it inside. But last night it had just come out, and it was liberating. Maybe now, in a new place and no reminders of all the bad, she could finally it go. She certainly hadn't felt like falling apart when she was singing this time. Maybe she could have this part of her life back, after all.

As if to test the waters, one of her old go-to shower songs came to mind, and she hummed out the first few notes before softly putting sound to the words.

 _"Now you say you're lonely,_

 _You cry the long night through._

 _Well you can cry me a river,_

 _cry me a river._

 _I cried a river over you."_

Her voice was smooth and low as she sang one her favorites, a jazz standard that she'd learned as a teenager. She had always loved the sultry tone of the song, and felt sexy as she sang it now to herself, even as she was just putting bottles on the shelf.

 _"Now you say you're sorry,_

 _for being so untrue._

 _Well you can cry me a river,_

 _cry me a river._

 _I cried a river over you."_

A middle aged man sitting at the bar nursing a glass of whisky could just hear the cute bartender singing from the back. He recognized the song, and her voice was definitely pleasing. He was straining to hear her better when a sudden rush of emotion crashed into him, and even though he had nothing to cry about really, he started sobbing uncontrollably.

The sound of crying startled Kat and she rushed out to front where, even more startling still there was a man who couldn't seem to stop blubbering.

"Are you okay?" she asked dumbly, when obviously he wasn't.

"I-I... I'm f-fine!" he exclaimed between sobs. Kat stared at him a moment, then grabbed his still-full drink off the counter and poured it out.

"I think you've had enough, buddy..." He didn't argue, but he was starting to calm down. Kat went back to the back room to finish putting the week's order away. _The whole world is going nuts,_ she thought to herself.

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Across the street from the bar, Hiei sat on a rooftop with his back against the ledge, facing away from the girl's place of work. He had decided to keep an eye on her for a while longer before getting back to Kurama. He'd never admit it, but after the previous night, Hiei' was frustrated to no end. How could a human like her have these powers and not even know it? Because it was obvious that she had no clue. Not to mention the fact that he couldn't get into her mind.

Denied access to her mind still, he decided to watch through the man at the bar. She was in a back room, out of view, but the second she started singing it was like he was right there nxt to her. Hiei listened, tense, as her voice surrounded the poor guy and reduced him to a bumbling mess. He chuckled at the poor fool's confusion and backed out of his mind. He wasn't close enough for her power to reach him this time, he figured as he hadn't been affected at all. Not that he would have ever cried, even if he'd been subject to a direct hit from her powerful voice. He recalled the night before, and that as soon as he knew what was happening to him he was able to break the spell. He'd have to experiment more, but he was fairly certain he would be able to maintain control moving forward.

He quickly scanned the area for any danger before moving off toward Kurama's house. He was surprised the fox hadn't asked him for information yet. He must have guessed that Hiei wouldn't bother reporting in if there wasn't anything good to report.

Kurama was home when he came in through an ever-open window. He looked up from a book he was reading in the living room when he heard his friend come in. The results of his little mission must have been particularly juicy if Hiei hadn't bothered coming home last night, and now he was here in person in the middle of the day.

"Hello, Hiei," he greeted with a small smile. He put the book down on the coffee table in front of him as Hiei stopped several paces away, hands hidden beneath his cloak. He looked bored as ever, but Kurama was sure he had news about the girl.

"She's a siren," he said bluntly in response, straight to the point.

"A siren," Kurama repeated, taken aback. He wasn't sure what he had expected, but this wasn't it.

Hiei crossed his arms over his chest, smirking at the fox's confusion. "And she doesn't seem to know it."

"This is..." Kurama struggled for a moment for words. "Unexpected," he finished with a light chuckle. "More confusing still, is that she is definitely human. Sirens, which supposedly died out centuries ago, were demon."

"Hn," Hiei agreed silently.

Kurama ran a hand through his crimson locks, sighing to himself. He'd hoped Hiei wouldn't find out anything interesting and that he could just let it go if there was nothing to bait his curiosity. But this certainly was not nothing, especially if the girl somehow wasn't aware of her powers. That could be dangerous, if she was unleashing that kind of energy unwittingly. This was cause for some action, he decided.

Hiei, having done his job, nodded to his friend in place of a goodbye and took his leave. He wasn't really sure why, but he felt the need to stay close to the strange, stupid human. Just in case she did something dangerous with those powers of hers, he told himself. He wanted to at least be there to watch.

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Kat was starting to get a really weird vibe from her professor.

All throughout class on Thursday, though she was doing her best to listen and keep her head down while taking notes, she could swear he was watching her. When she'd work up enough courage to glance up at him, he'd be looking elsewhere, but she could _feel_ his eyes on her. More than once she would shake her head at herself, thinking she was just being paranoid. So much weird stuff was happening lately, it was like she was expecting it now.

By the time class was over, she had nearly convinced herself that she was imagining things. But as she gathered her things and went to stand up, he was right there next to her, smiling at her politely. Kat started, then laughed nervously at herself.

"Sorry," she said, hand over her wildly beating heart. "You startled me!"

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said with a small chuckle. "I just wanted to introduce myself properly. I'd like to get to know the students more, but I seem to have added too much to the lessons and don't seem to have the time during class." His smile was meant to disarm her, she knew, but it set her on edge even more. She glanced around as she stood from her seat finally, hoping that none of the girls was seeing this. The last thing she needed was a bunch of jealous sorority girls on her case.

He extended his right hand to her. "Kurama. And you are?"

Reflexively she took his hand and shook it, quickly letting go. "I'm Kat," she said, smiling back.

"Are you from Pheonix?" he asked, his voice smooth and soft. _There's no way he's single,_ she thought, but didn't see a ring on his finger.

"Uh, no, I moved here with my little sister from Nebraska."

Kurama nodded, recalling little about Nebraska, except that it seemed a dull place to be.

"Well I hope you're settling in well here. And if you ever need any help or have any questions, please feel free to ask." He flashed her a bright smile that left her just a little stunned. He moved to head back to his desk, and dumbly she moved at the same time, creating a small collision. She blushed and hurriedly apologized. She was officially mortified.

He was still smiling politely as she made a swift exit. She hadn't noticed that his hands were behind his back since she bumped into him. Or that her wallet was now missing.


	5. Chapter 4, Part 2

"Are you _sure_ sure that you don't want me to stay home tonight?" Beth switched her weight from one foot the the other and back nervously while looking at her sister. Kat rolled her eyes. She could tell Beth didn't want to stay in, she was just worried because of the break in the other night.

"Beth, I'm fine." She got up from the couch and started pushing her sister toward the door, grabbing her purse from the end table as she went. Phoebe seemed to think this was a game, and started chasing after their feet.

"Go have fun with your new friends. I have a lot of homework to do, and it's easier to concentrate when you aren't here," Kat said, trying to convince her sister once and for all to leave. Honestly, she was looking forward to having the place to herself. Beth looked unsure still, so Kat pushed her sister's bag into her arms and opened the door.

Standing in the doorway, fist raised to knock, was Kurama. Kat jumped back and let out a small yelp of surprise. He laughed softly.

"I apologize," he said. "I don't mean to keep startling you." He flashed them a smile that would make most girls lose their breath. Beth stared dumbly at him.

"Professor!" Kat said, recovering first. "What, uhm... What are you doing here?" It seemed so surreal to have him standing there, outside of the botany lab. Of course she knew teachers didn't live in the schools, but people never expect to see them in public, let alone at their front doors.

"I hope you don't mind, but you left this in class, and I just assumed you would want it back before Tuesday." As he spoke he fished around in his pocket, then produced Kat's wallet.

"Oh!" Kat said, taking it from him and examining it. She didn't realize she'd lost it, but was still relieved to see it. "Uh, thank you!"

Kurama smiled politely and said you're welcome. Kat didn't know what to say next, and an awkward silence fell over the three.

Beth finally came out of her stupor. "Kitty Kat, _this_ is your professor?"

Kurama extended his hand to her. "I teach botany at the university. My name is Kurama." Beth shook his hand eagerly, before edging around him and stepping into the hallway.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Professor! I was just going out, but Kat was just saying how she could use some company!"

Kat glared at her sister. "Oh, but you probably have a bunch of stuff to do," she said plastering a fake smile on for Kurama. "Don't you worry about me, I'll be okay alone." She didn't know what her sister was up to, and she didn't like it.

"Nonsense, Big Sis! You were just saying how worried you are after the break in." Kurama was starting to really like Kat's sister. Her mischievous streak was starting to remind him of himself.

Kurama cleared his throat. "Break in?" he asked. That did sound worrisome.

Kat sighed. "Just some lunatic with a sword." That got Kurama's attention. Not many people in Phoenix running around with swords. "But seriously, I'm fine." She alternated between smiling at her professor embarrassedly and glaring daggers at her sister.

Beth just grinned in return, backing up further into the hall. "Well anyway... Bye!" She called to them, making a swift exit.

"Real smooth, Beth," Kat mumbled under her breath. She sighed, stepping to the side and gesturing to the living room. "Would you like to come in?"

Kurama strode past her into the apartment and she shut the door behind him. She was unsure what to do next, and settled for biting her lip nervously while shifting her weight from one foot to the next. Kat was sure they were about the same age, but Kurama still had an air of authority from being her teacher, and she felt like she was breaking some rule by having him in her living room.

"Kitty Kat?" Kurama asked, humor coloring his tone.

Kat groaned. "A nickname from when we were kids. I tell her to stop all the time, but Beth is.. Beth." she explained.

Kurama chuckled and nodded his understanding.

"Uhm, would you like anything to drink?" she asked after a brief, uncomfortable pause.

Kurama smiled graciously and nodded. "I would love a glass of water," he said. Kat nodded and made the short trip to the kitchen, grabbing glasses from a box on the table she hadn't unpacked yet. She poured a glass of ice water for him, and grabbed a bottle of wine from the fridge, filling her glass. Heading back to the living room, she motioned for the couch as she handed him his water.

"So, thank you for bringing my wallet," she said, taking a healthy sip from her glass. The wine was sweet and crisp, one of her favorite brands. She wasn't much of a drinker, having been too busy taking care of her sister to go out with friends. But she did like the occasional glass of wine to help her relax.

"It was no trouble at all," he assured her. He flashed her that smile again, and though she knew he was trying to be friendly, her reaction was to gulp down more wine. "So," he went on, "this break in the other night. Have the police found the culprit?"

Kat shook her head. "If they have, they didn't tell me."

"Did he take anything?" Kurama asked. Kat wondered at his curiosity, but shrugged it off.

"I don't think so. He uh, walked in on me while I was in the shower and was asking me these weird questions. Then all the sudden he was gone." She shuddered at the thought, lifting her glass to her lips again. "Like I said, he was just some guy off his meds. You'd have to be crazy to dye a white starburst into your black hair like that." She laughed to herself, thinking about the intruder's ridiculous hair and clothing setting her at ease slightly.

 _Hiei,_ Kurama thought instantly. He'd neglected to mention this incident the other night.

"I'm sorry that happened to you," Kurama said softly.

She waved his concern off, finishing off her glass. She frowned at the empty glass and got up to get herself some more. "I'm fine," she called from the kitchen. "No one was hurt and nothing was stolen, so I guess I'll just count myself lucky stars and move on." She plopped back down on the couch with him and sipped her fresh drink. It was already going to her head, but she was liking the light feelifng it gave her, so she just kept sipping.

"Your parents must have thrown a fit hearing about this. I know my own mother would have demanded I come home." He chuckled lightly, thinking how his mother would react if she found out about even half the things he'd been part of in the last several years.

Kat set her glass down on the coffee table and stared at it a moment before answering. "Actually, they're both gone." Kurama studied her, sorry suddenly that he'd brought it up. She glanced at him and saw the pity in his eyes, and waved him off again. "It was a long time ago," she explained. Kurama just nodded, not wanting to pry. She picked up her glass again and took a long swig.

"So," he started in an attempt to lighten the mood. "Are you liking your classes this semester?"

"Yeah, so far. All of them are online, except yours, which leaves my schedule pretty flexible so I can work as much as possible."

"So then when do you have time for hobbies?" Kurama asked, keeping his questions as casual as possible. He knew he'd have to tread carefully with her if he wanted to find out anything having to do with her being a siren.

"Hobbies?" she repeated, raising a brow. She wasn't sure why he was playing twenty questions with her, but the wine was making her open up a little more than she normally would have. She put her glass down again, telling herself she needed to slow down.

Kurama laughed lightly at her reaction. "Things you do for fun," he added.

Kat laughed, too, but with a little less humor. "I can't really remember the last time I did anything for fun," she admitted. Later she'd curse herself for sharing so much with this virtual stranger in her living room, but for now it actually felt good to talk openly with someone besides her sister.

"There must be something," he probed.

"Well," she said slowly, looking at her hands and blushing a little. "I used to sing a lot."

This is what Kurama was looking for. "Used to?"

Kat looked away, grabbing her wine glass again and finishing the remains. This time she didn't move to fill the cup again. "Yeah, well, after the accident, and my parents..." she trailed off, letting him fill in the blanks.

"It just wasn't the same," he finished for her. His expression was soft and he was trying not to look at her, as if to provide some privacy.

She nodded. "Lately I've started singing again, though." She wasn't sure why she told him that. She hadn't even told her sister yet. Maybe because she knew he wouldn't make a big deal out of it. Maybe because to him it would have no reason to be a big deal.

Kurama could tell that there was meaning to this, and smiled warmly at her. He suspected it was just the wine, but he was grateful that she was opening up to him as much as she was. She gave off more of a closed vibe the couple times he'd seen her before.

"I'd bet you have a lovely voice," he said softly. She looked at him a long moment, then turned away, blushing.

"Uhm, not to be rude, but was my wallet really the only reason you came by tonight?" she asked boldly. She couldn't be sure, but why else would a guy be asking so many personal questions, unless he was interested in her?

Kurama laughed, waving his hands to derail her train of thought. _Looks like my time is up,_ he thought.

"My intentions were purely professional, you have my word," he said, standing and stepping away from the couch. He wanted to stay and talk to her more, but he didn't want to lead her on. Although she was attractive, his curiosity did not cross romantic lines, and he knew it wouldn't be fair to her to go in that direction just to get information about her powers.

Kat stood also, swaying slightly but steadying herself quickly. She was wringing her hands, clearly embarrassed. "Great, good to know," she said, hoping not to sound disappointed. She wasn't really interested in him that way, but it had been nice for a second to think that he was interested in her. "So then I'll see you on Tuesday? In class." She headed for the door, hinting that she was done talking.

"Absolutely," he answered, nodding politely and saying good bye as he left her apartment.

Kat sighed and sat down heavily on the couch again. Phoebe, who had been watching lazily from a small pillow on the floor she had claimed, tried pathetically to get on the couch, but just wasn't big enough yet. Kat helped her up and the kitten curled up in a ball in her lap and started purring as Kat pet her.

"What just happened?" she asked the kitten. Phoebe looked up at her, and Kat giggled. "You don't know either, huh?"

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Hiei, while hiding out in the tree outside Kat's window, had witnessed the whole pointless interaction between Kurama and the girl. He had paid close attention through Kurama's point of view, caught all the little things that the fox had caught. He'd seen every reaction she'd had to every question and comment, and listened to the way Kurama had analyzed everything. They had learned things about her personal life and her past, but basically they were no closer to finding out about her powers. Hiei was still pretty sure that she didn't have a clue she even had them, but Kurama found that difficult to believe.

As Kurama exited the building, Hiei dropped down to the ground and joined him. They walked in silence for a while, the warm night air filled with city sounds to remind them they weren't truly alone. The stars were out, the few that could be seen with all the light pollution anyway, and Kurama looked up at them as they walked toward his car down the block.

"That was pretty fruitless," Hiei said finally.

Kurama looked over at his short friend. He'd known Hiei was watching the entire time, of course, and was curious as to why but left that for another time. "I'd have to agree, partially at least," he confessed.

"Now what?" Hiei kept his gaze straight ahead, feigning disinterest. The fox smirked a bit on the inside, but didn't let his friend see.

"Well, now we take a more direct route," he said, hands in his pockets as they got to his car. He leaned against the driver side door but didn't open it yet. "It's difficult to say whether she knows about her powers or not, but I got the feeling that she doesn't, which makes this quite the little mystery." Hiei tried not to roll his eyes at the fox's predictable curiosity. "But what's more, is that if she truly doesn't understand her powers, then she becomes a danger. So I see no other option than to intervene."

"Hn," Hiei nodded, turning to walk away. He'd leave it to the fox, having no interest in getting involved with yet another human's life. Anymore than he already has, that is.

"Was that how you found out she's a siren, Hiei? By threatening her?" The fire demon turned back and saw Kurama with a raised brow.

"She caught me off guard, and used her power to drag me into the apartment." If Yusuke or the oaf were there, he never would have admitted this, but he knew Kurama wouldn't dare laugh at him.

"I see," was all the fox said, keeping his smile small. It was interesting to him how Hiei was keeping tabs on the situation. He had even bothered to tune in to their entire conversation. More interesting, still, that he had been bested by a human girl. Kurama wasn't sure what to make of all this yet, but plans were starting to form in his head, and if Hiei thought he wasn't going to have anything to do with Kat in the future, he was sorely mistaken.


End file.
